Means for tensioning wire wheels



Jan. 23, 1934. w. H. FARR El AL 1,944,596

MEANS FOR TENSIONING WIRE WHEELS Filed Sept. 3. 1951 I INVENTORS WARREN H.FARR 0am E.$M\TH Cmacws LEKSERGIIAH WRM ' ATTORNEY i Patented Jan. 23, 1934 MEANS FOR. TENSIONING WIRE WHEELS Warren H. Farr, Obed E. Smith, and Carolus L. Ekserg'lan, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Budd Wheel Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September a, 1931. Serial No. 560,956 4 Claims. .(CI. 29-87) Our invention relates to the assembly of relatively movable screw threaded parts in threaded relationship. It has been our particular object to devise a speedy and economical method of tightening screw threaded parts such as the nipples used in connection with wire wheel spokes to tension them in their assembled relationship with respect to the hub and rim. We have further sought to provide a mechanism including a ratchet headed tool for tensioning a spoke by manipulating its nipple head, which will afiord an adequate guiding of the tool relatively to the nipple. Our invention is in the nature of a detail of improvement over the application of Carolus L. Eksergian and Obed E. Smith, filed September 5, 1930, Serial No. 479,818.

Further objects and advantages of our invention and the manner in which we have attained them will'be obvious from a reading of the subjoined specification in the light of the attached drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a central transverse section through a rim illustrating the application of our invention to a wire wheel, one of the operating tools being shown in section and the remainder in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a detail transverse section illustrating the first step in the operation of one of our improved tools.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section illustrating the operating mechanism of one of our tools in its extended relationship.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the nipples used in the production of our wire wheel, and

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a side elevation and bottom plan view respectively of the nipple of Fig. 4.

The wire wheel which we produce by the method of our invention consists of a rim 10 interconnected with a central hub member by means of a plurality of wire spokes 11. These spokes are threaded as indicated at 13 on their outer ends for co-action with complemental internally threaded nipples 12. The nipples are provided with squared portions 14 adapted to co-act with a suitable tool in the adjustment of the tension of the spokes to true the wheel. The nipples are further provided with ratchet heads 15 adapted to co-act with complementally formed tools in the tensioning of the spokes.

The successive steps in the method of tensioning the wheel are best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 2 illustrating the, initial approach of the tool to the head of the nipple and Fig. 1 illustrating ins'ection the completion of the threading operation before the withdrawal of the tool from the work. In the manufacture of our wheel we first interconnect the hub and rim in'the conventional manner by means of the spokes 11 and thereafter initiate the threading of the nipples upon the ends of the spokes, performing this operation until the nipples are fairly engaged .ciprocatory and rotary movement to simultanewith the spokes, as illustrated in Fig. 2. After all of the nipples are associated with their respective spokes in this manner, we place the rim and hub interconnectedby the spokes in a suitable chuck about which our improved mechanism is arranged.

This mechanism comprises a plurality of air guns which afiord a combined reciprocatory and rotary drive of the shafts 17, as illustrated in the aforesaid co-pending application. In the operation of tensioning a spoke the shaft 17 is given reciprocatory motion to effect the relative approach of a ratchet headed tool with respect to the complementally formed nipple head and a movement of rotation to efiect the rotary movementof the nipple in the tensioning of the spoke. In practice we arrange a plurality of such tools in symmetrical relationship about the rim and operate them through a commonly controlled source of fluid pressure to give them their combined reously tension a plurality of symmetrically disposed spokes. In this connection we prefer to tension all the spokes in a single operation, although it is entirely feasible to tension a plurality of spokes and thereafter index the chucked parts or the operating tools to a position in which a succeeding plurality of the spokes are aligned with the tools for tensioning. Such an arrangement is disclosed in the application of Warren H. Farr, Carolus L. Eksergian and Obed E. Smith, filed September 5, 1930, S. N. 479,842.

We will next describe one of the mechanisms 16 for operating upon a. spoke. This mechanism comprises a shaft 1'7 which is connected to an air gun to give it combined rotary and reciprocatory movement as described in either of the aforementioned copending applications and is adapted to drive a tool holder 21 through a pin 18 in a socket 19 which receives the bifurcated ends of a tool 100 holder 21. Relative axial movement between the tool holder and shaft is prevented by the provision of a pin 20 which'is received within complemental grooves in the shaft and tool holder. A suitable tool 22 which is formed with an operat- 105 ing portion 24 having a ratchet formation complemental to the ratchet shaped head of the nipple is secured in screw-threaded relationship upon the ends of the tool holder as indicated at 23. Upon the rotary and reciprocatory movement of the shaft 17 the tool holder 21 and tool 22 receive a similar movement to rotate the ratchet headed nipple and move inwardly therewith as it is threaded down upon the end 13 of, the spoke.

The arrangement described is, in general, similar to that of the above mentioned co-pending applications. The specific invention which we desire to protect in this application consists in the improved guiding arrangement whereby the operating tool is adapted to be guided into accurately aligned positions with respect to the nipple prior to and during the tensioning operation. In order to effect this guiding function we provide a pin still further means for effecting the guiding of the tool with respect to the nipple, we provide an outer sleeve 28 which is adapted to surround the nipple during the initial approach of the tool with respect thereto as indicated in Fig. 2. This sleeve is provided with a stepped bore 30 affording a shoulder 32 intermediateits ends for limiting the inward movement of the sleeve relatively to the tool. The sleeve is also tapered adjacent its inner end, as indicated at 33, to facilitate the guiding of the tool with respect to the nipple during the initial approach of the parts. A spring 31 surrounds the tool holder 21 and abuts at its opposite ends against the sleeve 29 and the shaft 17 respectively 'to normally hold the parts in their extended position, as indicated in Fig. 3.

In the operation of tensioning a spoke the tool holder is first given its rotary and reciprocatory movement through the shaft 1'7 to effect a relative approach of the tool and nipple. As the tool approaches the nipple the sleeve 29 will surround the nipple and the pin 25 enter the open end of the nipple, .as indicated in Fig. 2. After a predetermined approach of the parts the sleeve will impinge against a portion of the rim, as indicated at 34, thereby limiting the further relative movement of the sleeve and rim. This limitation of. the movement of the sleeve will not limit the further movement of the tool, however, as thespring 31 will allow the tool to continue to move inwardly in spite of the abutment of the sleeve against the rim. Such continued movement will cause a rotation of the ratchet headed nipple as the tool 22 comes into contact therewith and the tool 22 will move inwardly with the nipple during the rotation thereof due to the yieldable force of the air gun tending to force the tool longitudinally inwardly. As the nipple continues to rotate it will be drawn radially inwardly and the spoke tensioned by this movement. After a certain degree of such relative movement between the spoke and nipple the pin 25 will impinge against the end 35 of the spoke. This will result in a compression of the spring 28. It will thus be seen that the sleeve 29 surrounds the nipple to effect an'accurate initial guiding of the tool and nipple relatively to each other while the pin continues to afford a guiding function after the tool has reached the point where the sleeve is no longer operative to effect its guiding function, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

When the spokes have reached a pre-determined tension the air guns tending to operate the tools will stall. After this stall occurs with respect to all of the tools which are simultaneously operated, the pressure in the air line is temporarily released to allow the tools to return to their inoperative positions.

The first effect of such release will be to force the tool 22 outwardly under the effect of the tension imposed in the spring 28 during the approach of the parts. The tool will thus clear the nipple and there is no danger of a reverse rotation of the nipple during the return movement of the tool.

Modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art and we do not therefore wish to be limited except by the scope of our sub-joined claims as interpreted in the light of the generic spirit of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. An automatically operated mechanism for effecting a threading operation comprising a. drive shaft having combined rotaryand reciprocatory movements, a tool operatively connected with said drive shaft for movement therewith, means engaging the work internally and additional means engaging the work externally for centering it relatively to said tool, and yieldable means interconnecting said tool and both said centering means whereby to afford provision for a relative reciprocatory movement therebetween and to permit the internal centering means to continue in operative relation to the work after the external means has been movedto inoperative position by engagement with the work.

2. An automatically operated mechanism for effecting a threading operation comprising a drive shaft having combined rotary and reciprocatory movements, a tool operatively connected .with said drive shaft for movement therewith,

drive shaft having combined rotary and recipro catory movements, a tool operatively connected to said drive shaft for movement therewith, means engaging the work internally and additional means engaging the work externally, both of said means being associated with the tool to accurately center the work relatively to. said tool and both being relatively longitudinally movable with respect to the axis of the tool and being yieldingly constrained normally to one limit of such movement, one of said means having an inclined face for engaging the work to bring the work into position for easy engagement with and centering by the other of said means.

4. An. automatically operated mechanism foreffecting a threading operation comprising a drive ing yieldingly constrained normally to one limit 14 of such movement, one of said centering elements having an inclined face for engaging the work to bring the work into position for easy engagement with and centering by the other of said elements.

. WARREN H. FARR.

OBED E. SMITH. v CAROLUS L. EKSERGIAN. 

